Bangka-Belitung Islands 5.98

The Bangka Belitung Islands, is a province of Indonesia, previously a part of South Sumatra Province. Lying off the southeastern coasts of Sumatra, the province comprises two main islands, Bangka and Belitung, and several smaller ones. The Bangka Strait separates Sumatra and Bangka, and the Gaspar Strait separates Bangka and Belitung. The Natuna Sea is to the north, the Java Sea is to the south, and the province is separated from Borneo in the east by the Karimata Strait. The province bordered South Sumatra to the West, Riau Islands to the north, West Kalimantan to the east and the Java Sea to the south. The capital is Pangkal Pinang, which is is the economic center of the province and seat of the Bangka-Belitung Provincial Government. Other cities and towns in Bangka-Belitung include Sungailiat, Tanjung Pandan and Manggar. As of the 2015 census, the population of Bangka-Belitung was 1,372,813. The province has an equatorial climate with tropical rainforests, which however is disappearing due to deforestation. Mount Maras is the highest point in the province and the island of Bangka, with a height of 699 m. There are several rives in the province, such as the Sebuku River, Baturusa River and Mendo River.